LOCATION WOLFTRAP VA
Established Series
DHE-HLG/Rev.JAK/DTA
05/2026
WOLFTRAP SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (mesic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Moderately well drained
Index Surface Runoff: High or very high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Low
Shrink-Swell Potential: Very high
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum from Triassic sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, or shale
Slope: 2 to 25 percent
Elevation (type location): 116 meters (379 feet)
Frost Free Period (type location): 190 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 14 degrees C (57 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1067 millimeters (42 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Vertic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wolftrap fine sandy loam (in an area of Wolftrap-Easthamlet complex, 2 to 8 percent slopes), in a pine stand. (Colors are for moist soil, unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 2 centimeters (0 to 1 inch); slightly decomposed plant material; very strongly acid; mostly pine needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) thick)
Ap--2 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many fine and few medium and large roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 25 centimeters (1 to 10 inches) thick)
Btss1--20 to 48 centimeters (8 to 19 inches): 60 percent red (2.5YR 4/6) and 40 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common flattened fine roots on faces of peds and few medium roots; common nonintersecting slickensides; few fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btss2--48 to 79 centimeters (19 to 31 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few flattened fine roots on faces of peds and few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common nonintersecting slickensides; common medium prominent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btss horizon is 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
BC--79 to 97 centimeters (31 to 38 inches); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay loam; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches) thick)
C--97 to 165 centimeters (38 to 65 inches); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) silt loam saprolite; massive; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Halifax County, Virginia; about 5750 feet south on the intersection of State Road 613 and State Road 344, 50 feet south of State Road 613, about 1.1 miles southwest of Scottsburg; USGS Scottsburg, Virginia topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--36.7506
Longitude-- -78.8119
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic horizon: 2 to 25 centimeters (1 to 10 inches)
Depth to base of Argillic horizon: 63 to 152 centimeters (25 to 60 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 46 to 76 centimeters (18 to 30 inches), December to March
Rock fragment Content: 0 to 15 percent, by volume throughout; mostly fine-grained sandstone and mudstone
Mica Content: 0 to 20 percent, by volume mica flakes in the lower Bt, BC, or C horizon
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to very strongly acid throughout, unless limed
Extractable Aluminum Content: 10 to 25 milliequivalents/100 grams of soil in the Bt horizon
Other features: Thickness of the clayey Btss horizon with LEP greater than 9 (very high shrink-swell potential) ranges from 51 to 76 centimeters (20 to 30 inches)
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
O horizon:
Slightly to highly decomposed plant material, mostly decomposed leaf litter
A or Ap horizon
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Eroded phases include clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 6
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam
BA or BE horizon (if they occur)
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay, or silty clay loam
Btss horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--clay. Some pedons have thin layers of clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay, or silty clay loam.
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BC horizon or BCt horizon (if they occur):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture--sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
C horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture--variable, ranging from loamy sand to clay
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Cg horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 3 to 8
Texture--variable, ranging from loamy sand to clay
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
COMPETING SERIES: None
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum from Triassic sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, or shale
Slope: 2 to 25 percent
Elevation: 300 to 850 feet
Frost Free Period: 160 to 205 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1397 millimeters (40 to 55 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Ayersville soils--are fine-loamy and moderately deep to soft and hard bedrock; on higher landforms
Clover soils--are very deep to bedrock, have moderately shrink-swell potential, and are well drained; on higher landforms
Easthamlet soils--are somewhat poorly drained; on similar landforms
Lackstown soils--are moderately well to somewhat poorly drained; on similar landforms
Pinkston soils--are coarse-loamy and are moderately deep to bedrock; on higher landforms
Rockbarn soils--are moderately deep to soft bedrock and deep or very deep to hard bedrock; on higher landforms
Stoneville soils--are deep to soft bedrock; on higher landforms
Straightstone soils--are very deep to bedrock and are well drained; on higher landforms
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Index Surface Runoff: Very high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland or cropland and pasture.
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--corn, small grain, and tobacco. Where wooded--shortleaf pine, sweetgum, red oak, willow oak, and white oak. Understory plants include eastern red cedar, flowering dogwood, winged elm, eastern hophornbeam, eastern redbud, greenbrier, sassafras, honeysuckle, and poison ivy.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Virginia and possibly North Carolina.
Extent: Small
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Halifax County, Virginia, 2003.
REMARKS: Wolftrap soils were previously mapped with the White Store series. The April 1997 relocation of the mesic/thermic soil temperature regime line in MLRA 136 necessitated the establishment the Wolftrap series as a White Store counterpart. The May 2026 revision reformatted the description to semi-tabular. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and soil features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 20 to 79 centimeters (8 to 31 inches) (Btss horizons)
Slickensides--the presence of slickensides in a zone from 20 to 79 centimeters (8 to 31 inches) (Btss horizons)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Vertic feature--linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more between the mineral soil surface and a depth of 100 centimeters (39 inches)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory Data: No laboratory data available.
Database Information:
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID--103385
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
NC0059 WOLFTRAP 2-25 52-57 160-205 40-55 300-850
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NC0059 NONE 1.5-2.5 PERCHED DEC-MAR >60 -
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
NC0059 0-8 SL FSL 0-3 95-100 5-20 5-15
NC0059 0-8 L SIL 0-3 80-100 5-27 5-15
NC0059 0- 8 CL C 0-3 95-100 27-45 5-15
NC0059 8-31 C 0-3 90-100 45-70 20-40
NC0059 31-65 SL L CL 0-3 85-100 12-40 5-20
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
NC0059 0- 8 5.6-6.0 0.5-2.0 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
NC0059 0- 8 5.6-6.0 0.5-2.0 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
NC0059 0- 8 4.5-5.5 0.0-0.5 0-0 0.06-0.6 HIGH
NC0059 8-31 4.5-5.5 0.0-0.5 0-0 0.0-0.06 VERY HIGH
NC0059 31-65 4.5-5.5 0.0-0.5 0-0 0.06-0.2 MODERATE
________________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.